


The Greatest Gift

by flightinflame



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies)
Genre: Charles Xavier Needs a Hug, Charles Xavier has a Ph.D in Adorable, Family Fluff, Gen, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kid Raven | Mystique, Mind Manipulation, Protective Siblings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-01
Updated: 2020-03-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:34:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 858
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22971844
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/pseuds/flightinflame
Summary: A week after they first met, Raven was no longer cold, or hungry, or afraid. And Charles was no longer alone.
Relationships: Raven | Mystique & Charles Xavier
Comments: 8
Kudos: 36
Collections: X-Men Rare Pairs 2020





	The Greatest Gift

**Author's Note:**

  * For [InsertSthMeaningful](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsertSthMeaningful/gifts).
  * In response to a prompt by [InsertSthMeaningful](https://archiveofourown.org/users/InsertSthMeaningful/pseuds/InsertSthMeaningful) in the [xmenrarepairs20](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/xmenrarepairs20) collection. 



> This was such a cute idea! I'm very busy, but I really wanted to write something for this.  
>  **Prompt:**
> 
> Playing catch with your new sister can prove to be quite hard on your easily bruised skin. Especially when she can shapeshift into anyone and hasn't really gotten the hang of moderating her super-strength yet. 
> 
> Playing hide-and-seek with your new brother can prove to be quite hard on your easily bruised ego. Especially when he can read minds and detect you in under ten seconds, no matter how good you are at sneaking around. 
> 
> (just Raven and Charles being kids and growing up together. all the fluff!)

Charles hadn't really known what he was asking, when he'd first met Raven and asked her to stay. He'd hoped he was going to have a friend, but he couldn't be sure. All he knew was that he could feel the pain and fear in her, the hunger and the loneliness, and he didn't want anyone to ever feel like that. He wanted to help.

So offering her food and a place to stay had been natural, and his excitement at not being alone was another comfort, but he hadn't expected much to come from it. He knew he was going to be getting a stepbrother soon, and he didn't like Cain very much at all. But he just hoped he could help her.

Those first few days, he tried very hard, certain that it wasn't going to lead to any kind of success, certain that he was doomed towards failure. He knew he'd always failed before, at the tests he had tried to do, at making friends at school, at pleasing his mother. When he did get on with people in class, he could hear their thoughts, playing along so they'd get the right answers on tests. 

But Raven never thought of him like that. She did think about the fact she had food now, but Charles couldn't be angry at her for that, not when she'd been hungry and alone for so long. She mostly thought of him in nice ways. He could feel her happiness for getting cuddles, her relief at being told she was safe now. They'd share food - and it was easy enough to persuade the cooks to prepare extra meals, even before he'd worked on persuading his mother and his soon to be step-father that Raven had come to live here, sent by a relative who had passed away. 

So a week after they first met, Raven was no longer cold, or hungry, or afraid. And Charles was no longer alone. Real progress had been made, for both of them. During the day, she was a sweet little blonde girl, who wore pretty dresses and kept quiet. And when they were alone, she was funny and friendly, and the best person that Charles had ever met. He was glad he got to see both sides of her.

After his mother thought Raven was meant to be here, she was given her own room, which was near Charles's. After mother went to her room to have a nightcap, Charles took Raven up to her new room. He hesitated, as she turned into her blue form.

Those first few nights, Raven had slept beside him, cuddling him close and holding onto his hands. But this was different, now she had her own space, and he braced himself for her rejection. 

"Good... goodnight, Raven." He held his chin up bravely. "Have nice dreams."

He hadn't expected Raven's forehead to crease, or her head to duck as though she was upset. His thoughts brushed hers. _Raven?_

_You... you don't want me there?_

_You... you have your own bedroom now, I didn't think you'd... I thought you might want your own space._ He tried to explain. She rolled her eyes, walked over, and pulled him into a tight hug. 

"No, I want to be with you Charles. Can you at least tell me a bedtime story?"

Charles smiled, and nodded. One more night wouldn't matter, and Raven wanted him.

***

"Ow!" Charles glared at Raven, rubbing at his arm. "That hurt." He glared, fighting the urge to share the pain with her. It wouldn't be fair, and it wasn't her fault she was strong, or that the ball she had thrown to him had landed exactly where Cain had punched him the previous night.

"I didn't throw it that hard!" Raven argued. "I didn't even use all my strength..." she frowned at him, and then ran over and hugged him. "Did Cain hit you again?"

Charles hesitated, and Raven frowned at him.   
"We can play hide and seek next, if you want?"

"That'd be nice." Charles hugged her back. It hurt a little bit to hug her, but he understood what that offer meant, given he wasn't any better at hide and seek than Raven was at catch. It was too easy to feel her mind, calling out to him. No matter how hard she hid, he could always find her, even when she pretended to be a maid or a gardener. 

She nodded, and squeezed his hand.  
"You're the best brother, Charles."

"Your other brother is Cain," Charles pointed out. "I'd be very hurt if I wasn't your favourite." 

Raven giggled at him.   
"I mean, you'd be my favourite anyway. You're..." she giggled. "Come on, let's go and play."

Charles hesitated for a moment, and then followed close to her. She ran off, and he raced after her, laughing. He caught up to her by the lake, wrapping his arms around her and laughing.  
"You're the best sister too, Raven. I'm glad you're here."

Raven squirmed out of his arms, and lay back on the grass, staring up at the clouds.  
"I'm glad you're here as well."


End file.
